Praise for NZTA for choosing to build a new two lane bridge being built on State Highway 2, in Eastern Bay of Plenty

Construction will begin mid-2027 to replace the one-lane Pekatahi Bridge near Taneatua, costing up to 69 million dollars.

Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says thousands of trucks use the old bridge, which is a vital link.

He says virtually everything that comes out of the Tairawhiti region goes through that bridge.